The Wicked Witch of the East
by blindkitten
Summary: All seems well in the O.Z. Everyone has accepted Az as the victim of the witch, the damage done by the witch is being repaired, and everyone is together again. But deep in the East, a new evil rises. Can they defeat her as well?
1. Prologue

Azkadellia caught herself quickly. Cain was surprised at how quickly she'd gone from evil sorceress to hesitant little girl to a second DG. "Come on, DG, we still have to take care of all the Long Coats," she said, taking her little sister's hand.

Ahamo and the Queen looked at each other, and, smiling faintly, followed their daughters out the door. The three friends paused a few moments, and decided to follow DG. By the time they all reached the fields outside, the Long Coats were scattered. When the sun had come out, over half the troops fled. The little order that had remained was shattered by Az showing up with her sister beside her.

The rebels had already set up a makeshift infirmary for the wounded. There were no casualties in so far as anyone knew yet, which took very much weight off of everyone's shoulders. Cain began to ask around for his son, until things caught up with DG and she dragged him to the infirmary. He nearly escaped, when Az, somewhat apologetically, brought up the rear, giving him no escape route.

It turned out this wasn't so bad after all. Jeb was also in the infirmary, insisting he was perfectly fine while a girl about DG's age dragged him to a bed. His head was bandaged, and he was obviously just barely conscious, because the girl was hardly trying. She shoved him onto the bed, where he finally slumped over. The girl groaned and lifted his legs into the bed, covering him up affectionately.

"Well, I can see which parent he takes after," DG proclaimed.

The girl flicked her light auburn hair out of her round face. She was small and lightly built, though her arms showed the faint muscle that came from hard work. She surveyed DG, then looked at Cain. "Ah. You must be the famous Wyatt Cain," she said happily.

Cain showed an uncharacteristic degree of worry. "Is he…" he asked immediately.

"He's fine," she cut in. "It's not like the idiot has much brain left to damage." She patted his arm lightly and smiled. "You got to love a Cain."

DG nodded. "I think I've found a soulmate," she told Az.

Cain wasn't sure who to scowl at more. The girl laughed. "'Course, I'm not one to talk, am I?" she said. She extended her hand. "Mathia Cain."

DG shook her hand and looked at her questioningly. "And you're Jeb's… wife?"

"Sister," Mathia corrected without skipping a beat. "Adopted sister. The Cains took me in a few years ago. I've never known anything about my family, so I've never really been anythin' but a Cain. I'm as bad as any of 'em. I probably give Jeb more problems than he gives me." She grinned at Cain, looking at his wound as she chattered on. "Anyway, Adora called me her daughter and Jeb calls me his sister, so I 'spose you're welcome to call me whatever you like, Mr. Wyatt Cain."

Cain gave her a scrutinizing look. DG felt that in Mathia's place she would have melted, but the girl wasn't phased in the least. "Were you the one who was there in the fight? The one who beat the Long Coat up with a stick?"

"That was me, indeed. Sadly, I'm not as good at bowling people over with my bare fists as some of the men, so they give me a stick."

Cain had to smile at that. "That's my girl," he said.

Mathia smiled and went for bandages. "That makes me officially a Cain, then," she said happily as she went.

DG grinned. "I think I'm in love…" she joked.

Az, who had until now been looking awkward and staying quiet, giggled. Raw sniggered, insofar as the seers were prone to snigger. Glitch was watching her with an awed expression on his face. DG elbowed him. "Sure you haven't got any wounds?" she asked with the subtlety of a drunken rhinoceros.

Luckily, this was lost on Glitch. "What?" he asked.

DG backpedaled. "Oh, nevermind."

-X-

Somewhere in the depths of the O.Z. past the Eastern Guilds, something stirred. Now that the Witch of the West was gone, it was time for the East to rise.


	2. Leaving the Palace

DG walked out on the balcony. She leaned against the railing and looked at her sister. Az was staring out at the O.Z. "You okay?" she asked.

Az scowled at her. "I wish you would stop asking me that," she sighed.

"You just looked a little…" DG waved her hand in front of her face and looked at her sister earnestly.

Az had to laugh. She looked back at the O.Z. "Do you think the O.Z. will ever trust me again?" she asked.

"Sure. You're as much of the victim as anyone. As soon as they see you fixing stuff, they'll love you again like nothing ever happened," Dg said, crossing her arms over the railing and resting her head on them. "Look, Az, just in case, you don't blame yourself for… you know, what the Witch did?"

"Not really. Sometimes I think maybe I should, but…. Well, she wasn't me and I know it."

DG nodded, satisfied. She was wearing a red dress that resembled many of her mother's dresses. It was more casual than what her mother wore now days, because DG was still used to jeans. She had brought over a few things from her old home, including her drawings , and had refused to wear slippers, but instead wore her old converse shoes.

Az, too, had exchanged her old dresses (and burned them) and was wearing a dress much like DG's, but a light blue. She, too, had seen the wisdom of converse shoes, and luckily had the same shoe size as DG. She had also pulled her hair back into a simpler style, like she had when she was young.

DG sighed. "This castle is so boring!" she exclaimed. "Hey, I found a little cave nearby? Want to have an adventure?"

Az looked at her wide eyed. "That's not funny, DG!" she said, smacking her upside the head.

DG did her best not to laugh. "Sorry, Az, didn't mean it." Then, as an afterthought, she added, "Except the boredom part. That I meant."

She slammed her head into her crossed arms and, ultimately, into the marble railing. "Oww…" she moaned from her arms.

Az laughed under her breath. Then she looked out into the road. "Hey, Deeg, I think I've solved your boredom problem," she said.

"How?" DG muttered from somewhere in her arms.

"The Cains are home," she said.

DG's head shot up like a bullet. She and Az exchanged one grinning glance and dashed out the door. A startled Wyatt Cain was shortly afterwards tackled by two princesses. He stumbled back and managed to catch his footing just before he tumbled over. He patted their backs. "Hello to you too, Your Highnesses…" he said.

Jeb rolled his eyes and led the horses to the stables, and Mathia had to sit down in order to stop her giggles.

The sisters stepped back and looked at Cain. "So… how'd it go?" DG asked him.

"Fine. We painted DG as the gallant hero, of course," he glanced at Az apologetically and she shrugged. "Most people took it pretty well. The witch's death is already starting to show on the O.Z. Things are looking better. People figure it's pretty logical for the witch to be gone, and they're also accepting that Azkadellia…"

"_Az_," both sisters corrected at the same time.

"…Az was just a victim of the witch like everyone else. No one really wanted to think that the Queen's daughter was evil anyway, it seems."

Az sighed. "Still, I've got to do my best to show people I'm good again. Helping out in the O.Z. will make me feel better anyway."

"We'll do it together, Az," DG said, taking her sister's hand.

The sisters looked at grinned at each other. Cain smiled gently, "Oh, and I think I saw a friend of ours on the way here…" he began, but the three girls had already rushed passed him screaming, "_GLITCH!"_

"They have been really damn bored…" he muttered to himself, an amused expression on his face.

Unlike Cain, Glitch didn't handle the double princess (plus one Cain) attack with grace. As soon as the girls slammed into him he tumbled to the ground, and all three went head over heels into the bushes. When they rolled to a stop, the girls raised their heads up and grinned at Glitch, who vaguely said, "do I know you?" and then, "Oh, Your Highnesses! Mathia! Hello!" brightly.

They giggled and helped him up. He managed to stumble several times before they took him by the arms and led him into the palace. Glitch had been accompanying the Queen to Finaqua, and was now on his way back, since the Queen had decided to spend a week days alone with her husband, after being separated for so long.

"Maybe we'll get another sister," DG whispered, giggling, to Az, who snorted a few times while concealing her laughter.

With the Cains and Glitch home, the sisters' boredom was somewhat lessened. The palace, which was now Long-Coat free, was usually quite empty. Az had felt uncomfortable going abroad before she knew the O.Z.'s perspective on the witch's actions in her body, and DG had, naturally, stayed with her. The Cains had gone spreading the news about the O.Z. while Glitch, the Queen and Ahamo had gone to seal off the witch's cave, just in case, and Kalm and Raw had gone back to their people for the time being, leaving the princesses almost alone and very bored.

Soon after the Cains and Glitch returned, the Queen and Ahamo came back as well, happier than DG had ever seen them, even in her dreams and lost memories. As soon as their parents returned, the sisters started to pack for Finaqua. Cain offered to come along before she even asked, telling her gruffly that she was going to get in some trouble without him along. As soon as he left, DG told her sister, "That's Cain for, 'If I didn't come, I'd miss you.'"

However, Jeb wasn't as easy to convince. He was still organizing the slowly fading rebel base, and didn't want to leave until everyone had found a new home and was living happily ever after. Cain tried to convince him several times, but in the end Glitch, who was going to Finaqua too, told Mathia, who promptly refused to cook and glared at Jeb until he gave up and decided to come.

They loaded up a wagon, and set out the next week.


	3. Kids Can Be Kids in Finaqua

_Okay, so, I forgot the disclaimer the last two chapters, so, in case you were thinking otherwise, I do not own anything, except Mathia. And even there, only her first name. If I did own Tin Man… nothing would be different, because I loved the movie._

As they went, DG noticed that it was getting much colder at night. Winter seemed to be creeping up on them slowly and quietly. She spent the nights cuddled up to her sister. Occasionally she would stay awake and watch her friends and family.

When they reached Finaqua, they moved into a large house. It was probably definable as a mansion, since it seemed like a mini palace of some sort. DG remarked that it reminded her of the mansion in Star Wars, and was met with utter confusion. She sighed, realizing that not even her father would know about that.

The sisters then set to unpacking. They tossed their bags into their room and ran out to the lake. "Girls, that's not unpacking!" Ahamo yelled after them, but was ignored.

The Cains were all given rooms on the same hall. Across from them, the sisters had one, Glitch had one, and the King and Queen has a third, all in a row. Glitch, worn out, went to bed as soon as they arrived. Mathia, who had fit in with the sisters extremely well, followed them out to the lake. Cain, the King, and the Queen gave up and left their things in their own rooms and sat down together to discuss plans for recovering the O.Z. after all the witch had done.

This left Jeb very lost. He tried listening into the strategic discussion, but realized his father was suggesting everything he thought of, only faster, being less hesitant in the presence of royalty. After a while he tiptoed away. He tried to fall asleep, but it was too early. He sighed and looked out the window.

The girls were thoroughly soaked, screaming as the splashed each other. He sighed and went out to join them. They didn't notice him at first, so he cleared his throat loudly and said, "How is the water?"

They all froze, realizing they had been caught being extremely immature. Finally DG grinned. "Yeah, it's great, come on in!" she called.

Jeb hesitated a moment. He wasn't the type to be "immature." However, DG's smile was so bright and happy, Jeb just_ had _to kick off his boots and wade into the water. The girls took this as an invitation to gang up on him and splash him all at the same time.

As soon as he had time to gather his wits (by which time he was soaked to the bone) he had to grin. He leaned back, and with one strong push from either of his arms, sent Az and Mathia sprawling back, coughing and spluttering. DG gave him the look of a cornered animal. He dove forward, catching her gently in her arms and pushing her underwater while she screamed indignantly.

Az and Mathia tackled him from behind. He made an attempt to stand up with both of them on his bad, and ended up falling over anyway. The girls, however managed to keep hanging on. Finally, he manage to stand up, at which point DG tackled him from behind, and all of them were sent tumbling into the water.

The only thing that drove them inside in the end was the sun setting. They changed into clean clothes and all sat down to dinner (even Glitch was dragged out of bed) Afterwards, they all collapsed into bed and were asleep before their heads hit the pillow.

-X-

The next morning, DG awoke to hear carefree laughter. She sat up, wandered to the window, and saw Glitch and Mathia walking, arm in arm, beside the lake. Glitch was waving his free hand wildly, and Mathia was giggling at whatever he was telling her.

Az woke up, her hear tousled, yawning. She rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. A smile spread over her face. DG didn't know what made her happier, her sister's face or Glitch and Mathia being so happy. "Isn't this a perfect start to the day?" Az asked happily.

DG nodded, and grinned so evilly that Az wondered if the witch could have gone into her instead. "You know what would make this day even more perfect?" she said, her face lighting up.

A few minutes later, an unsuspecting and still sleeping Jeb found himself the landing spot for two fully dressed, and momentarily extremely heavy, princesses. With pillows. His response was something along the lines of, "AAAAARGHMPHFFFFFFFFFFFAAAAA!!!!"

A startled Cain was then nearly run over by a red and blue blob moving near light speed. The Queen leaned out of her room and yelled, all too knowingly, "That is not a way to wake guests, girls!"

DG dashed back and poked her head around the corner. "It's okay, mom, he'll kill us anyway, you don't have to bother!" she yelled, then disappeared again.

The Queen rolled her eyes in a frighteningly DG-like way, and disappeared. Cain twitched slightly. He waited until Jeb came out, trying to hide a grin. He mumbled a good morning and followed him at a safe distance. As he reached the door to the outside, he heard a shrill scream and a splash. He slid out the door and watched as Jeb threw DG, still kicking and screaming on his shoulder, after her soaked sister. DG managed to shove her leg into Jeb's, sending him into the water as well. He dashed after her, laughing, and she screamed and waded away as fast as she could. Mathia and Glitch giggled.

Cain smiled and wandered over to where the Queen sat beside her husband in the window. "It's good to see him laugh," he told her.

She smiled. "I'm glad our children are finally getting to be children," she agreed. "If only they could have been like this through their childhood…"

She sighed, taking her husband's hand and smiling at him. "Best to leave the past behind, now," Ahamo said.

On the lake shore, the sisters and Jeb collapsed onto the ground laughing and gasping.

_Remember to review, people! Thanks for reading!_


	4. Zero's Return

It was a quiet night that night, with everyone every one exhausted from the days events. Jeb was deeply asleep, when he felt an arm snake around him. Thinking it was one of the sisters, he moved to sit up, thinking of ways to stop them in their latest attempt to tease him. A strong hand clamped over his mouth, pushing him back down with ease. His eyes snapped open, and he found himself looking at the twinkling eyes of Adrian Zero.

He tried again to sit up, but Zero's arm was as strong as an iron bar. He kicked, but in the large bed it made no sound, nor any difference on Zero's grip. Zero grinned at his growing panic. "Now, don't be scared," he whispered, leaning down close to Jeb's ear. "It'll all be over soon."

Jeb's eyes widened, trying to claw at Zero's arm. He realized it was armor plated as it usually was. His heart pounded in his ears and his throat. Zero's other arm pulled out a knife. He let it glitter in the moonlight, and Jeb went suddenly still, shaking from head to toe. He shook his head as much as he could with Zero's hand clamped over his mouth, but Zero just grinned.

"I wish I didn't have to do this so quietly, kid. I'd love to hear your screams when I do this," he whispered. "Now, if you live, tell your dad, this one is for surviving and making me look like a fool every time…" Jeb thrashed helplessly as the knife plunged into his shoulder. "… and this is for locking me up in the Suit." The knife plunged into his other shoulder, sliding in between the bones like a burning stake.

A muffled cry sounded through Zero's fingers. Jeb felt tears come to his eyes, as Zero slid in an out of focus. Zero snickered quietly. "And as for you," he said. "This is for defeating me and my men…" the knife slid between his ribs. Zero grinned harder as he felt Jeb's lips part silently under his fingers, trying to draw in a gasping breath. "… and this is for that spoon trick you pulled." He twisted the knife slowly but steadily. He heard a few last muffling cries as Jeb thrashed one more time. He slid his knife out and cleaned it on his pants.

He waited patiently a few moments until the boy went limp, tears rolling down his cheeks. He took his hand away. "Have a nice night," he whispered, standing up and swinging himself out the window, taking one last, gleeful look at Jeb, laying nearly motionless, dry gasps wracking his body.

Some subconscious part of Jeb remembered to plunge his fist into the wound on his chest. He felt a new rush of pain as he did so, but his fist remain solidly there. He tried to call out, but he could hardly breathe, much less scream. Pain rushed through his shoulders and chest, and the world was getting darker. Something in his head told him, 'no, no, stay awake, stand up, get help, scream, stay awake,' but even that was fading away.

A scream ripped through his head, one clear thing in a world of haziness. "Oh, god, Az, get Cain, get anyone! Jeb!" His last thought was, 'DG,' before everything faded away.

-X-

The Queen walked in. "How is he?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"We got to him just in time," Cain answered, his voice hoarse and strained. "It's a miracle DG found him when she did."

The Queen walked over to her daughter. "DG?" she asked, putting her hands on her shoulders.

DG looked up at her mother. "I'm okay, mom, don't give me that look," she sighed. "And before you ask, I don't know how I knew, something just felt wrong, and so I came to check. It was just luck that Jeb's room was right across from ours."

The Queen looked at Jeb. He looked pale, young, and fragile. She tilted her head and put her hand hesitantly on his shoulder. His eyes snapped open, and he started out of bed. He was quickly apprehended by Mathia, who was the only one in the room who hadn't jumped a foot in the air. DG jumped to help her once she realized what was happening. Jeb thrashed against them, stronger than both of them even wounded.

The Queen stepped forward and took Jeb's chin firmly in her hand, turning his head to look at her. His eyes widened, and his arms went limp. His eyes slowly unfocused, and he fell back onto the bed. His eyelids fluttering, he murmured, "Zero," before going still.

Cain, only just now catching up with the events, jumped to his son. "What happened? Why…? Is he alright?"

"He needs rest," the Queen said, collapsing into a chair. "All this struggling isn't good for a wounded person."

Az gripped her seat, her knuckles white as a sheet, her face nearly as pale. "Zero," she breathed. She darted up out of her chair and fled the room. DG looked at Cain and Mathia apologetically, and dashed after her.

"Az! Az, wait!" she cried

She finally found her sister in her room, curled up and sobbing. She rushed to her side. "Az, what's the matter? Zero can't hurt us, not if we're together," she said, hugging her sister.

"I'm not afraid of him," Az choked.

"Then what's the matter?" she asked, frowning at her sister. "What happened? What did he do to you?" she added, in a sudden moment of horror.

Az took her sister's hand and guided it to her stomach. DG ran her fingers across her sister's chest. She it wasn't very noticeable, but she could feel the smallest, tiniest bump. "Oh, god," she whispered.

-X-


	5. Backstory

_This was sort of… random thoughts. I did my best to make it into a chapter, hopefully it wasn't too choppy._

That night, DG dreamed. What scared her wasn't the dream part, since she had dreams every night, many of which involved sailors floating about on raspberry boats singing Happy Birthday. What scared her was that she wasn't sure it _was_ a dream. She knew very well how that had turned out last time.

In her dream, she walked through a forest. For the beginning of the dream, she wondered why it seemed to familiar. She suddenly realized that she had been here with Cain; he had tried to find his family here. The second thing she realized was that she was oddly invisible, and couldn't see her hands or feet.

She ignored this and pushed on through pine trees, until she came to the familiar cottage. Blue smoke rose from it, unlike the last time. She walked up to it, curious. She tried knocking on the door, but passed straight through it. She looked around, admiring the simple, homey feel of the cottage. There was an uncomfortable moment as someone walked straight through her. She realized it was Jeb Cain.

His mother, Adora Cain, was cheerful and happy, but her face showed the wear of losing her husband and having to flee for her life. She was still beautiful.

"Here's the eggs, mum," Jeb said, laying a box of eggs on the table.

Jeb was as happy as DG had ever seen him. He was whistling, which was not something DG would have thought was in the genetics of Cain men. She stood in a corner to avoid being walked through and watched as Adora, with a beautiful smile, took the eggs and said, "Then breakfast is on it's way."

There was a heavy knock on the door. Adora looked worried, but quickly turned from Jeb to hide it. She was obviously not expecting visitors. She leaned over and peeked out the window. The eggs shattered on the ground, and Jeb was on his feet and almost to the gun on the wall in nearly the same moment.

Adora leaped to a trap door and had it nearly open when a flaming torch was flung through the window. Jeb barely had time to let his fingers off the gun and to pull his mother to the ground before an explosion rocked the cottage. The front door fell down with a crash.

A storm of Long-Coats stormed in, and before a dazed Jeb could gather his wits, dragged Adora out of the cottage. DG ran after them, trying to fight the Long-Coats or something, but she simply passed through everything. Tears streaming down her face, she had to watch. The Long-coats dragged the screaming Adora to Zero.

Zero leered at her and put his hand on her cheek. "What a waste. I thought sparing your life once might change things, but I suppose I was wrong…"

She flinched away. Jeb, finally stumbling to his feet, dashed at Zero. Zero easily side stepped him. Adora tried to rush to her son as he fell to his knees, but Zero held her firmly. He nodded at his men, who went to Jeb, and, hauling him to his feet, proceeded to beat him as they had his father not so long ago. Adora screamed and thrashed, but Zero was unmoved.

Finally, Jeb fell back on his knees, to exhausted to fight any longer against such unfair odds. Zero nodded again, and the nearest Long-Coat wrenched Jeb's head up. Adora looked at her son, her eyes wide and fearful. There was a loud, resounding snap.

DG screamed. Adora fell to the ground, limp. Jeb roared, and, breaking free, leaped at Zero with renewed fury. Zero, however, had been holding back. He'd wanted Jeb to be able to comprehend and witness the monstrosity he had committed. Now Zero and his men fell on Jeb like vultures on a dead animal, and soon beat him senseless.

While Jeb lay, unconscious, on the ground, Zero had his men set up the Suit. DG, crying, watched in horror. Once the Suit was set up, Zero woke Jeb up. The boy looked around him hazily, uncomprehending. DG sobbed silently, knowing what came next.

"You know what comes next, don't you?" Zero grinned cruelly.

Jeb tried to focus his eyes, looking around. He caught sight of the Suit. To DG's surprise, he whimpered. "No," he begged, his voice desperate. "Please, don't… please…"

Zero grinned harder and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, boy," he laughed.

Jeb, with all his injuries, was easily dragged to the Suit. Once he was there, he tried to fight one last time, but this time, instead of facing it bravely, he screamed and begged as he writhed against the Long-Coats. DG's heart wrenched in her chest, and she screamed too. "No! Jeb!" she cried, uselessly. "No, don't hurt him! Please! Don't hurt him! Jeb!" She lunged at the Long-Coats, but her hands passed through, making her cry even harder. She screamed.

The Long-Coats finally shoved Jeb into the Suit and closed the door. DG screamed one last time, and then found herself staring into the worried face of her sister.

She looked around. Cain and Mathia were leaning over her as well. She was somehow on the floor. She realized she'd been sitting in a chair beside Jeb's bed, and she'd fallen out. "What happened? What's the matter?" she asked hazily.

"You were screaming," Mathia offered. "We couldn't wake you up."

"Oh," DG said. She looked over at the bed. Jeb was awake, watching her intently. "Did I… um… say something?" she asked, rubbing her head.

"Yes," everyone said at once.

DG realized she'd been screaming Jeb's name. She also found herself shaking all of the sudden as the dream came back to her vividly. Az, her hands still on DG's shoulders, helped her into a chair. "Oh, god, Az it was awful, it was a dream but not a dream and I was invisible and I couldn't do anything and they killed her and then and then and then…" she looked at her sister helplessly.

Az hugged her sister. "It's okay, Deeg, I promise, everything is okay," she whispered.

DG nodded. Taking a few deep breaths, she said, "I'm sorry, it just freaked me out a little, but I'm okay now."

Everyone calmed down and went back to their seats. Jeb frowned at DG but bit back his words. Slowly, everyone eased back into sleep, and DG dreamed about sailors floating about on raspberry boats singing Happy Birthday happily.

-X-

Jeb woke up with the familiar sensation that he'd been trampled by something huge and angry. His right shoulder throbbed, sending small shoots of pain down his whole arm. He stifled a groan, going into "Where was everyone when I was last conscious and who should I look for first?" mode. Everything rushed back into his head all at once.

He was tempted to leap out of bed and see what he could do about Zero, but he remembered how waking up felt after the first time he'd tried that and decided not to after all. Then he realized something. His other arm and the wound on his ribs _didn't hurt. _He opened his eyes.

From the looks of things, DG had gotten cold overnight and had slid under the covers, unconsciously using his arm as a teddy bear. Everywhere her light body had rolled onto him, a bright warmth seeped into his body. He looked around. The others were nowhere to be seen; most likely, Az and Mathia had dragged Cain to breakfast, but hadn't wanted to wake him or DG.

He was glad; his father probably would have insisted that he get out of this position with the princess if he wasn't out like a light. He carefully ran his hand through her hair. He couldn't stand to have her leave. Not just yet.

Soon she woke. Leaped up. "Oh, I'm sorry! I was cold and then I…" she said, blushing.

Pain shot through his arm and chest. He groaned, flinching. "Are you okay?" DG asked, her eyes showing her worry.

He nodded, trying to gasp for breath. "Yeah, fine, I… I think my arm just went a little numb under you or something."

"Oh, god, Jeb, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you…" she sighed, taking his hand.

Immediately, relief washed through his arm. It wasn't as perfect as it was earlier, but it reached his other arm. He sat up. "How are you doing that?" he asked.

"Doing what?" she asked, confused.

"Making the pain go away."

DG stared at him. "I… I don't know!"

Jeb started laughing. DG blinked. "What?" she asked.

"You know, my mom used to tell me about magical princesses. I always thought they'd be a bit more royal." DG let go of his hand. His eyes widened. "No, wait, I didn't mean it like that! It was a complement, I swear!" She grinned evilly and took his hand again.

_Character torture and mushy goodness all in one chappy. Something for everyone!_


End file.
